Along with Swallows and Swifts, the arrival of the House Martin from
its winter quarters in Africa is a welcome sign of spring. Both sexes
are similar with metallic blue-black upper-parts, pure white under-parts,
white rump, a forked tail and broad, short wings. It's small legs and
feet are covered in white feathers. On young birds the white areas are
a kind of buff grey in colour and the top of the head is brown. Originally
nesting mainly on cliffs, House Martins adapted to man building cup-shaped
nests under the eaves of house using approximately 2,500 tiny pellets
of mud. They feed on insects caught on the wing and can be seen between
April and October.